Expandable lavatory and cabin configuration including dedicated seating area and expandable lavatory

ABSTRACT

An expandable lavatory and an aircraft cabin configuration including the same. First, second and third walls form the lavatory interior and the third wall is repositionable to expand the lavatory interior footprint to accommodate a wheelchair. The third wall carries a door deployable when the third wall is in the expanded configuration such that the wheelchair can access the lavatory interior via an exit pathway. A first door positioned in the second wall provides access to the lavatory interior via a longitudinal aisle. In some embodiments, a wheelchair securement area is positioned longitudinally aligned with the second door, when the second door is deployed, such that wheelchair access to the lavatory is provided through second door when the lavatory is in the expanded configuration.

RELATED APPLICATION AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This nonprovisional application claims the benefit of priority of U.S.Provisional Application No. 63/251,399 filed Oct. 1, 2021 and titledEXPANDABLE LAVATORY AND CABIN CONFIGURATION INCLUDING DEDICATED SEATINGAREA AND EXPANDABLE LAVATORY, the entirety of which is incorporated byreference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle cabin configurationsfor accommodating passengers with reduced mobility (PRM), and moreparticularly, to an expandable lavatory and cabin configurationincluding an expandable lavatory positioned in relation to a dedicatedseating area for PRM passengers, wherein the lavatory is reconfigurableto increase the lavatory footprint and to provide a second lavatoryentrance dedicated for use by PRM passengers, for instance PRMpassengers confined to a wheelchair.

BACKGROUND

The majority of traveling passengers can board a plane or otherconveyance on their own and make use of standard passenger seats andlavatories. PRM passengers, for instance passengers confined to awheelchair, require special boarding procedures and accommodations. Forexample, regarding passenger aircraft, part of the special boardingprocedures involves transferring a passenger from their own personalwheelchair to a transfer wheelchair able to traverse a narrow aircraftaisle. Such transfer is not only disruptive to the passenger, buttransfer wheelchairs are not catered to specific passenger needs andcannot be used for seating during flight. Thus, the PRM passenger mustbe transferred a second time from the transfer wheelchair to a standardpassenger seat, further disrupting the passenger.

Conventional lavatories are also incapable of accommodating a wheelchairdue their small size, narrow entrance door, and difficulty transitioningfrom the longitudinal aisle into the lavatory. In addition, smalllavatories are not able to accommodate both a PRM passenger and theircaregiver at the same time. While solutions have been developed fortemporarily expanding a lavatory, such solutions typically involveincreasing the width of the longitudinal aisle entrance. For example, inthe case of adjacent lavatories, prior art solutions include a dividingwall repositionable to expand the size of one lavatory at the expense ofthe adjacent lavatory. While well-intentioned, such solutions arelimited in their amount of possible expansion, continue to requireaccess from the longitudinal aisle, and prevent use of the contractedlavatory when the adjacent lavatory is expanded.

Therefore, to minimize disruption to all traveling passengers whilebetter catering to PRM passenger needs, it would be desirable to allow awheelchair user to remain in their own personal wheelchair duringboarding, travel and when accessing a lavatory. It would also bedesirable to position the PRM passenger near a lavatory, and to providea lavatory reconfigurable to allow direct access from a dedicatedseating area without having to traverse a longitudinal aisle, crew area,or other heavily trafficked area of a passenger cabin.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIVE ASPECTS

To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, in one aspect the presentdisclosure provides an aircraft cabin configuration including aninterior space formed between a fuselage wall and a longitudinal aisle.An exit pathway leading to an exit door divides the interior space intoa first portion and a second portion. A seating area positioned in thefirst portion of the interior space includes at least one passenger seatand a wheelchair securement area is positioned to one side of the atleast one passenger seat. An expandable lavatory is positioned in thesecond portion of the interior space. In a first, non-expandedconfiguration, the lavatory can be used by passengers without mobilityconstraints. In a second, expanded configuration, the lavatory isfurther accessible to passengers with mobility constraints, for instancewheelchair-bound passengers.

In embodiments, the expandable lavatory includes first, second and thirdwalls forming a lavatory interior, the first wall is positioned acrossthe interior space, the second wall is positioned along the longitudinalaisle, and the third wall is repositionable between a first position inwhich the third wall is positioned across the interior space and asecond position in which the third wall is positioned along thelongitudinal aisle. A first door is positioned in the second wall forproviding access to the lavatory interior from the longitudinal aisle. Asecond door is pivotally attached to the third wall and deploys acrossthe interior space when the third wall is in the second position. Thesecond door, when deployed, provides access to the lavatory interiorfrom the exit pathway. A footprint of the lavatory interior is greaterwhen the third wall is in the second position, and the second door, whendeployed across the interior space, is longitudinally aligned with thewheelchair securement area.

In some embodiments, the expandable lavatory further includes a fourthwall positioned partway across the interior space, the fourth wallaligned with the second door when the second is deployed across theinterior space.

In some embodiments, the seating area includes a plurality of passengerseats, wherein at least a portion of at least one of the plurality ofpassenger seats is removable or reconfigurable to clear a portion of thewheelchair securement area.

In some embodiments, the expandable lavatory further includes a firstdeployable privacy panel configured to deploy to fill a space between atop of the third wall and a ceiling of the aircraft cabin when the thirdwall is in the second position of the third wall, and a seconddeployable privacy panel configured to deploy to fill a space between atop of the second door and the ceiling of the aircraft cabin when thesecond door is deployed across the interior space.

In some embodiments, the expandable partition further includes at leastone cabin attendant seat carried on the third wall, wherein the at leastone cabin attendant seat is positioned along the exit pathway when thethird wall is positioned across the interior space, and wherein the atleast one cabin attendant seat is positioned along the longitudinalaisle when the third wall is positioned along the longitudinal aisle.

In some embodiments, the first wall is fixed, the second wall isperpendicular to the first wall, the third wall is perpendicular to thesecond wall when the third wall is in the first position, and the thirdwall is parallel to the second wall when the third wall is in the secondposition.

In some embodiments, the cabin configuration further includes a privacypartition positioned to one side of the seating area adjacent thewheelchair securement area, the privacy partition longitudinally alignedwith and extending in a direction of the second wall.

In some embodiments, the lavatory includes a sink positioned along thefuselage wall and a toilet positioned to one side of the sink, whereinthe toilet is not longitudinally aligned with the wheelchair securementarea.

In some embodiments, the lavatory toilet is angled toward the secondwall or angled toward the fuselage wall.

In another aspect, the present disclosure provides an expandablelavatory configured for installation in a vehicle including an interiorspace formed between an exterior wall and a longitudinal aisle. Theexpandable lavatory includes first, second and third walls forming alavatory interior, the first wall positionable across the interiorspace, the second wall positionable along the longitudinal aisle, andthe third wall repositionable between a first position in which thethird wall is positionable across the interior space and a secondposition in which the third wall is positionable along the longitudinalaisle. A first door is positioned in the second wall for providingaccess to the lavatory interior from the longitudinal aisle. A seconddoor is pivotally attached to the third wall such that the second dooris deployable across the interior space when the third wall is in thesecond position, and the second door when deployed providing access tothe lavatory interior from an exit pathway positioned across theinterior space. A footprint of the lavatory interior is greater when thethird wall is in the second position in order to accommodate passengerswith mobility issues.

In some embodiments, the expandable lavatory includes a fourth wallpositioned partway across the interior space, the fourth wall alignedwith the second door when the second is deployed across the interiorspace.

In some embodiments, the expandable lavatory includes a sink positionedin the lavatory interior and a toilet positioned to one side of thesink, wherein the toilet is parallel to the second wall or angled towardthe second wall.

Embodiments of the inventive concepts can include one or more or anycombination of the above aspects, features and configurations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Implementations of the inventive concepts disclosed herein may be betterunderstood when consideration is given to the following detaileddescription thereof. Such description refers to the included drawings,which are not necessarily to scale, and in which some features may beexaggerated, and some features may be omitted or may be representedschematically in the interest of clarity. Like reference numbers in thedrawings may represent and refer to the same or similar element,feature, or function. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an aircraft cabin includinga wheelchair securement area positioned relative to an expandablelavatory in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the aircraft cabin of FIG. 1 showing theexpandable lavatory in a partially expanded configuration and with thesecond access door open;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the aircraft cabin of FIG. 1 showing theexpandable lavatory in a fully expanded configuration and with thesecond access door closed;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the seating area into the expandedlavatory;

FIGS. 5A-5D are sequential views showing the expandable lavatory beingexpanded and a reduced mobility passenger traversing from the seatingarea into the expanded lavatory;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of an aircraft cabin showing alavatory open to permit wheelchair access;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the lavatory shown in FIG. 6 showing thepassenger moved from the wheelchair to the toilet;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of a lavatory showing a positionalrelationship of a toilet and sink according to a first embodiment of thepresent disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of a lavatory showing a positionalrelationship of an angled toilet and sink according to a secondembodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIGS. 10A-10C shows the sequential steps for converting a business classseat to accommodate a wheelchair in the dedicated seating area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before explaining one or more embodiments of the disclosure in detail,it is to be understood that the embodiments are not limited in theirapplication to the details of construction and the arrangement of thecomponents or steps or methodologies set forth in the followingdescription or illustrated in the drawings. In the following detaileddescription of embodiments, numerous specific details may be set forthto provide a more thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, itwill be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefitof the instant disclosure that the embodiments disclosed herein may bepracticed without some of these specific details. In other instances,well-known features may not be described in detail to avoidunnecessarily complicating the instant disclosure.

As used herein a letter following a reference numeral is intended toreference an embodiment of the feature or element that may be similar,but not necessarily identical, to a previously described element orfeature bearing the same reference numeral (e.g., 1, 1a, 1b). Suchshorthand notations are used for purposes of convenience only and shouldnot be construed to limit the disclosure in any way unless expresslystated to the contrary.

Further, unless expressly stated to the contrary, “or” refers to aninclusive or and not to an exclusive or. For example, a condition A or Bis satisfied by any one of the following: A is true (or present) and Bis false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (orpresent), and both A and B are true (or present).

In addition, use of “a” or “an” may be employed to describe elements andcomponents of embodiments disclosed herein. This is done merely forconvenience and “a” and “an” are intended to include “one” or “at leastone,” and the singular also includes the plural unless it is obviousthat it is meant otherwise.

Finally, as used herein any reference to “one embodiment” or “someembodiments” means that a particular element, feature, structure, orcharacteristic described in connection with the embodiment is includedin at least one embodiment disclosed herein. The appearances of thephrase “in some embodiments” in various places in the specification arenot necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, and embodimentsmay include one or more of the features expressly described orinherently present herein, or any combination or sub-combination of twoor more such features, along with any other features which may notnecessarily be expressly described or inherently present in the instantdisclosure.

Broadly speaking, the present disclosure provides embodiments ofpassenger cabin configurations, dedicating seating areas for PRMpassengers, and expandable lavatories with direct access for PRMpassengers.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a passenger cabin, for example an aircraftpassenger cabin, including a dedicated PRM passenger seating area andexpandable lavatory. The passenger cabin 100 includes an interior space102 formed between a fuselage wall 104 and a longitudinal aisle 106. Theinterior space 102 extends longitudinally along a portion of the lengthof the passenger cabin 100 and along one side of the longitudinal aisle106. The interior space 102 is divided by a transverse exit pathway 108leading to an exit door 110 provided along the fuselage wall 104. Thetransverse exit pathway 108 divides the interior space 102 into a firstportion 112 and a second portion 114, not necessarily equallydimensioned.

A seating area 116 positioned in the first portion 112 includes at leastone passenger seat 118. As shown, in some embodiments each passengerseat 118 is an economy class seat forming part of a seat row. Theseating area 116 in the first portion 112, when configured forwheelchair securement, is dedicated for use by a PRM passenger and acaregiver or an accompanying passenger. Additional seats rows may bepositioned in the cabin outside of the first portion 112, for instanceaft of the seating area 116 and/or to one side of the seating area 116across the longitudinal aisle 106.

With specific reference to FIG. 1 , the seating area 116 includes a rowof passenger seats wherein at least one of the passenger seats 118, andpreferably two of the passenger seats, are removable at least in part,or reconfigurable, to clear floor space for receiving a wheelchair 120.Floor tracks 122 and seat frame elements may serve as anchoringlocations for attaching straps or other elements for securing thewheelchair 120 in place during flight. As shown, the floor tracks 122extend in the longitudinal direction from the seating area 116 in thedirection of the expandable lavatory 124. When secured during flight,the wheelchair 120 is positioned just aft of the exit pathway 108 suchthat the exit pathway remains unobstructed.

The expandable lavatory 124 is positioned in the second portion 114. Asshown in FIG. 1 , the expandable lavatory 124 is in a firstconfiguration for use by passengers without mobility issues. In otherwords, the typical or conventional lavatory use configuration. Theexpandable lavatory 124 generally includes first, second and third wallsforming a lavatory interior. The first wall (see FIGS. 5-7 at 126) is atransverse wall extending across the interior space, for instance fromthe fuselage wall 104 to the longitudinal aisle 106. The second wall128, which may be coupled to and/or continuous with the first wall,extends in the longitudinal direction along one side of the longitudinalaisle 106. The third wall 130, which in some embodiments is pivotallycoupled to the second wall 128, extends across the interior space whenin a first position as shown in FIG. 1 , and extends along thelongitudinal aisle 106 and parallel to the second wall 128 when pivotedto a second position as shown in FIG. 2 . The first position of thethird wall 130 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to a retracted orconventional configuration of the lavatory 124, while the secondposition of the third wall 130 corresponds to an expanded lavatoryconfiguration as shown in FIG. 2 .

A first door 132 is positioned in the second wall 128 and swings open toprovide access into the lavatory directly from the longitudinal aisle106. In some embodiments, the lavatory entrance via the first door 132is fixed in width and the width is insufficient to allow passage of awheelchair. In some embodiments, the first and second walls 126, 128 arealso positionally fixed. In some embodiments, the third wall 130 carriescrew elements on an exterior side of the third wall, i.e., outside ofthe lavatory interior. The crew elements may include, but are notlimited to, cabin attendant seats 134, a cabin information displaysystem (CIDS) 136, etc. When the third wall 130 is in the first positionas shown in FIG. 1 , the crew elements are positioned in the exitpathway 108 such that the cabin attendant seat bottoms deploy into theexit pathway 108. When the third wall 130 is in the second position asshown in FIG. 2 , the cabin attendant seat bottoms deploy into thelongitudinal aisle 106 for use during air turbulence and otherwise whenthe expanded lavatory is in use.

With specific reference to FIG. 3 , a second door 138 is pivotallyattached to the third wall 130. The second door 138 is configured toswing open to provide access into the lavatory interior from the exitpathway 108. In use, lavatory expansion includes in a first step moving(e.g., pivoting) the third wall 130 from its first position across theinterior space to its second position parallel to the longitudinal aisleand in some embodiments in line with the second wall 128. In a secondstep, the second door 138 is pivoted away from the third wall 130,hinged along one edge, to a closed position in which the closed doorextends across the interior space. In some embodiments, the door lengthis less than the width of the interior space (i.e., from the fuselagewall 104 to the longitudinal aisle 106) and a fourth wall 140 isprovided to fill the space between the fuselage wall 104 and closedsecond door 138, as shown in FIG. 3 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , in some embodiments the third wall 130 is curvedalong the top edge to generally conform to the curvature of the fuselagewall 104 when the third wall 130 is in the first position. The seconddoor 138 may have a similar curvature such that the curvatures of thethird wall 130 and the second door 138 align with the second door 138 isin the first position and the second door is stowed face to face againstthe third wall 130. In some embodiments, a first deployable partition142 is provided to fill the space between the top edge of the third wall130 and the ceiling 144 when the third door is in the second position,and a second deployable partition 146 is provided to fill the spacebetween the top edge of the second door 138 and the ceiling 144 when thesecond door is deployed. In some embodiments, the first and seconddeployable partitions 142, 146 are integrally formed. In someembodiments, the first and second deployable partitions 142, 146 areseparate and separately deployable. Each of the deployable partitions142, 146 may be carried on their respective lavatory element, may beattached to the ceiling 144, or may be stowed elsewhere and installed asneeded. In some embodiments, the height of the third wall 130 and theheight of the second door 138 are sufficient to obviate the need forspace-filling privacy partitions. In some embodiments, a privacypartition 148 is positioned to one side of the seating area, the privacypartition 148 positioned along the longitudinal aisle 106 and extendingin a direction of the expandable lavatory 124. In some embodiments, theprivacy partition 148 includes at least one of storage compartments anda window.

FIG. 4 shows a view from the dedicated PRM seating area into theexpanded lavatory through the second door 138. As shown, the floortracks 122 extend from the seating area into the lavatory. In someembodiments, the wheelchair always remains attached to the floor tracks122. Also shown is the optional privacy partition 148 positionedalongside the seating area, and more particularly, alongside aconvertible passenger seat as discussed below.

FIGS. 5A-5D illustrate the steps involved with lavatory expansion andlavatory ingress. FIG. 5A shows a PRM passenger confined to awheelchair, the PRM passenger positioned in the dedicated seating area112 during flight, and the expandable lavatory in a contracted orconventional configuration. FIG. 5B shows the third wall 130 moved tothe ‘open’ position to expand the lavatory interior. FIG. 5C shows thePRM passenger moving into the expanded lavatory. FIG. 5D shows the PRMpassenger fully in the expanded lavatory, and with the second door 138in the closed position. Apparent from FIG. 5D, the PRM passenger seatposition and the second door 138 are longitudinally aligned such thatthe PRM passenger can move straight forward to enter the expandedlavatory to position the wheelchair laterally adjacent the toilet 150 tofacilitate easy transfer from the wheelchair to the toilet and back. Acomparison of FIGS. 5A and 5D further shows the difference in footprintsize between the contracted configuration of the lavatory as shown inFIG. 5A and the expanded configuration of the lavatory as shown in FIG.5D. FIG. 5D further shows the lavatory footprint capable ofaccommodating both the PRM passenger and a caregiver, and the privacy ofthe expanded lavatory.

FIG. 6 shows another embodiment of a PRM accessible lavatory 124. Asshown, the seating area includes a row of seats 118 each seat equippedwith a flip-up seat bottom 152 configured to stow against its respectiveseat back 154 to clear space in the seating area to accommodate awheelchair. In some embodiments, the dedicated seating area occupies aportion of a conventional passenger seating area such that the dedicatedseating area is visually indistinguishable from an adjacent conventionalpassenger seating area when the dedicated seating area is used forconventional passenger seating. Seat components such as seat backs,armrests and headrests may be the same or similar in both theconventional passenger seating zone and the dedicated seating area forvisual consistency throughout the passenger cabin. The dedicated seatingarea may be positioned in any location within the aircraft cabin but ispreferably positioned directly longitudinally adjacent the expandablelavatory 124 as shown.

In some embodiments, the seat row is positioned on a floor pallet 156installable in the dedicated seating area and sized to substantiallycorrespond to the footprint of the dedicated seating area. The floorpallet 156 may be unitary or multi-piece to facilitate installation anddepending on the footprint of the dedicated seating area. The floorpallet 156 preferably has a lightweight construction, is resistant todeformation, transfer loads on restraint assemblies to the floor, andhas a thin vertical profile. FIG. 6 illustrates two of the threepassenger seats with their seat bottoms 152 positioned to accommodate awheelchair in the dedicated seating area. FIG. 6 further shows the PRMpassenger moving into the expandable lavatory 124 via an expanded accessopening. FIG. 7 shows the PRM passenger wheelchair fully in the expandedlavatory and with the passenger transferred from the wheelchair to thetoilet.

FIG. 8 shows a first embodiment of a lavatory interior including a sink158 positioned adjacent the fuselage wall 104, a counter 160 coextensivewith a portion of the fuselage wall 104 and transitioning into the sink158, and the toilet 150 positioned to the side of the counter 160. Thetoilet 150 is parallel to the longitudinal aisle. FIG. 9 shows a secondembodiment of a lavatory interior, similar to the first embodiment, butwith the toilet 150 angled toward the fuselage wall 104.

FIGS. 10A-10C show the sequential steps for converting a business classseat in the dedicated seating area to receive a wheelchair. FIG. 10Ashows two laterally adjacent business class passenger seats 118configured for passenger seating. FIG. 10B shows the aisle passengerseat 118 removed entirely, or a portion thereof removed, to clear spacein the dedicated seat area to receive a wheelchair. FIG. 10C shows awheelchair 120 positioned in the dedicated passenger seating arealaterally adjacent the window seat. The window seat may be occupied by acaregiver of the PRM passenger or another traveling passenger. Althoughnot shown, the aisle seat is preferably longitudinally aligned with thelavatory door for accessing the lavatory interior in the expandedconfiguration of the lavatory. In some embodiments, a dedicated storagearea may be provided in the aircraft cabin for accommodating the removedseat or removed components of the seat.

The foregoing description provides embodiments of the invention by wayof example only. It is envisioned that other embodiments may performsimilar functions and/or achieve similar results. Any and all suchequivalent embodiments and examples are within the scope of the presentinvention and are intended to be covered by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An aircraft cabin configuration, comprising: aninterior space formed between a fuselage wall and a longitudinal aisle;an exit pathway leading to an exit door, the exit pathway dividing theinterior space into a first portion and a second portion; a seating areapositioned in the first portion of the interior space and including atleast one passenger seat and a wheelchair securement area positioned toone side of the at least one passenger seat; and an expandable lavatorypositioned in the second portion of the interior space; wherein theexpandable lavatory comprises: first, second and third walls forming alavatory interior, the first wall positioned across the interior space,the second wall positioned along the longitudinal aisle, and the thirdwall repositionable between a first position in which the third wall ispositioned across the interior space and a second position in which thethird wall is positioned along the longitudinal aisle; a first doorpositioned in the second wall, the first door providing access to thelavatory interior from the longitudinal aisle; and a second doorpivotally attached to the third wall, the second door deployable acrossthe interior space when the third wall is in the second position of thethird wall, and the second door when deployed providing access to thelavatory interior from the exit pathway; wherein a footprint of thelavatory interior is greater when the third wall is in the secondposition of the third wall; and wherein the second door, when deployedacross the interior space, is longitudinally aligned with the wheelchairsecurement area.
 2. The aircraft cabin configuration according to claim1, further comprising a fourth wall positioned partway across theinterior space, the fourth wall aligned with the second door when thesecond is deployed across the interior space.
 3. The aircraft cabinconfiguration according to claim 1, wherein the seating area includes aplurality of passenger seats, and wherein at least a portion of at leastone of the plurality of passenger seats is removable to form thewheelchair securement area.
 4. The aircraft cabin configurationaccording to claim 1, further comprising a first deployable privacypanel configured to deploy to fill a space between a top of the thirdwall and a ceiling of the aircraft cabin when the third wall is in thesecond position of the third wall, and a second deployable privacy panelconfigured to deploy to fill a space between a top of the second doorand the ceiling of the aircraft cabin when the second door is deployedacross the interior space.
 5. The aircraft cabin configuration accordingto claim 1, further comprising at least one cabin attendant seat carriedon the third wall, wherein the at least one cabin attendant seat ispositioned along the exit pathway when the third wall is positionedacross the interior space, and wherein the at least one cabin attendantseat is positioned along the longitudinal aisle when the third wall ispositioned along the longitudinal aisle.
 6. The aircraft cabinconfiguration according to claim 1, wherein the first wall is fixed, thesecond wall is perpendicular to the first wall, the third wall isperpendicular to the second wall when the third wall is in the firstposition, and the third wall is parallel to the second wall when thethird wall is in the second position.
 7. The aircraft cabinconfiguration according to claim 1, further comprising a privacypartition positioned to one side of the seating area adjacent thewheelchair securement area, the privacy partition longitudinally alignedwith and extending in a direction of the second wall.
 8. The aircraftcabin configuration according to claim 1, further comprising a sinkpositioned in the lavatory interior along the fuselage wall, and atoilet positioned to one side of the sink, wherein the toilet is notlongitudinally aligned with the wheelchair securement area.
 9. Theaircraft cabin configuration according to claim 8, wherein the toilet isangled toward the second wall.
 10. An expandable lavatory configured forinstallation in a vehicle including an interior space formed between anexterior wall and a longitudinal aisle, the expandable lavatorycomprising: first, second and third walls forming a lavatory interior,the first wall positionable across the interior space, the second wallpositionable along the longitudinal aisle, and the third wallrepositionable between a first position in which the third wall ispositionable across the interior space and a second position in whichthe third wall is positionable along the longitudinal aisle; a firstdoor positioned in the second wall, the first door providing access tothe lavatory interior from the longitudinal aisle; and a second doorpivotally attached to the third wall, the second door deployable acrossthe interior space when the third wall is in the second position, andthe second door when deployed providing access to the lavatory interiorfrom an exit pathway positioned across the interior space; wherein afootprint of the lavatory interior is greater when the third wall is inthe second position.
 11. The expandable lavatory according to claim 10,further comprising a fourth wall positioned partway across the interiorspace, the fourth wall aligned with the second door when the second isdeployed across the interior space.
 12. The expandable lavatoryaccording to claim 10, further comprising a first deployable privacypanel configured to deploy to fill a space between a top of the thirdwall and a vehicle ceiling when the third wall is in the second positionof the third wall, and a second deployable privacy panel configured todeploy to fill a space between a top of the second door and the vehicleceiling when the second door is deployed across the interior space. 13.The expandable lavatory according to claim 10, further comprising atleast one cabin attendant seat carried on the third wall, wherein the atleast one cabin attendant seat is positioned along an exit pathway whenthe third wall is positioned across the interior space, and wherein theat least one cabin attendant seat is positioned along the longitudinalaisle when the third wall is positioned along the longitudinal aisle.14. The expandable lavatory according to claim 10, wherein the firstwall is fixed, the second wall is perpendicular to the first wall, thethird wall is perpendicular to the second wall when the third wall is inthe first position, and the third wall is parallel to the second wallwhen the third wall is in the second position.
 15. The expandablelavatory according to claim 10, further comprising a sink positioned inthe lavatory interior and a toilet positioned to one side of the sink,wherein the toilet is parallel to the second wall or angled toward thesecond wall.